Proverbs 21:5

Driving home: But in contrast, the person that's hasty, that wants a get-rich-quick scheme, he is constantly cultivating. He's cogitating and thinking how he's going to make it quick, how he's going to get it easily, and it tends only…

Martin quotes Matthew Henry's commentary on Proverbs 21:5, which provides a detailed exposition of the two paths to wealth or poverty: diligent, patient work versus hasty, rash, and greedy schemes.

But in contrast, the person that's hasty, that wants a get-rich-quick scheme, he is constantly cultivating. He's cogitating and thinking how he's going to make it quick, how he's going to get it easily, and it tends only to want or to need. At this point, I want to quote Matthew Henry on page 910 of volume 3 in the six-volume set that I have. He speaks to this issue so perceptively.

0:43 - 1:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I don't call it a sickness. It is a moral perversity.

Martin uses the lottery as a contemporary example of the 'hasty' pursuit of wealth condemned by the proverb, highlighting its futility and moral perversity.

That's what this is talking about. That is the way to want. The whole lottery craze feeds the very thing condemned in this text. And all you need to do is ask anyone what the odds are.

2:58 - 3:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Wisely invest money rather than gambling it on speculative ventures like lottery tickets, recognizing that consistent, prudent investment yields greater long-term gain.

He recounts seeing church members get 'sucked into' and 'burnt' by pyramid schemes, illustrating the dangers of get-rich-quick ventures even within Christian communities.

But people who in common grace know what the odds are know that if they take a dollar a day and wisely invest it, not gamble it on speculative stocks, but wisely invest it in a proper means of getting gain, at the end of 25 years they'll be far better off than the person who's plunked out thousands of dollars and has nothing but his dreams and his empty pockets. And you better preserve, you better immunize your kids going out into a world with get-rich-quick schemes. I remember, and thankfully it's far enough behind us now, I can say it without causing any trouble, when there was the craze in ...

3:32 - 4:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider how financial decisions and resources can be used for the kingdom of God.

Martin shares his own experience of buying gold pieces in the 1970s, which initially increased in value but later declined, serving as an example of a hasty or unwise investment compared to other potential uses for the money, and reflecting on seeking counsel.

Now, I'm not defending going off the gold standard. But if you're going to have any kind of financial stability, get yourself as much gold and silver as you can and bury it in concrete. Well, I know a certain gentleman that bought a few gold pieces, and inside of a few months, they went from the price that he paid for them, $250 for a 50 peso Mexican gold piece. It's 1.1 ounces of gold.

4:57 - 5:25 Read in full sermon